RCN: LEAPS: Culture Change for Inclusion of Indigenous Voices in Biology

为期五年的美国国家科学基金会跨跃项目“文化变革促进土著声音融入生物学”是美国印第安人科学与工程学会（AISES）、美国植物学会（BSA）、美国生态学会（ESA）和美国昆虫学会（EntSoc）之间的合作项目，旨在推动生物学领域的文化变革。“土著之声”项目旨在改变这些社会与土著学者和社区的互动方式，并提高他们在生物研究和专业领域的参与度。AISES与三个紧密联系的生物专业协会合作，将成立一个指导委员会，以：1)评估组织内土著包容的状况，2)解决结构障碍并在组织内建立土著社区，以及3)扩大关系和理解，从根本上提高土著在生物学研究和专业中的代表性。“原住民之声”项目代表了AISES、BSA、ESA和EntSoc之间的新合作，旨在推动所有组织之间的努力，以增加土著人民、文化和价值观在生物学中的包容性，认识到美国土著人民的独特身份和环境，以及通过部落国家建设对教育、研究和劳动力发展的影响。NSF跨越式发展项目的目的是测试实现文化变革的方法，包括纳入土著代表，从组织成员到纳入土著知识。由于土著STEM的普遍代表性不足，土著身份、知识和价值观往往受到限制或完全被抹去。拟议的项目旨在通过合作、参与不同的声音和绘制变革之路来改善土著在STEM中的代表性，同时也为土著学者奠定基础，他们将进一步推动其学科的文化转型。“原住民之声”项目扩展了当前土著学者通过文化联系指导、社区建设和以土著价值观为中心的专业发展来保持对STEM的坚持的理解。指导委员会将侧重于评估当前的需求和挑战，然后确定在土著学者之间建立社区和在各组织中增加土著代表的基准。如果不能集中原住民的声音，不能支持原住民学者和社群的独特维度，就会剥夺这个国家创新和变革解决方案的潜力，尤其是在面对气候变化和环境不公的情况下。除非土著知识和科学得到与西方知识和科学同等的重视，否则土著人民将无法看到他们自己——他们所代表的过去和现在的人和社区——在STEM中受到重视。“原住民之声”计画寻求将更多的参与与更多的代表结合起来，以实现文化变革，造福原住民与社区，以及植物学、生态学和昆虫学领域。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The five-year project NSF LEAPS project, Culture Change for Inclusion of Indigenous Voices in Biology is a partnership among the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), Botanical Society of America (BSA), Ecological Society of America (ESA), and Entomological Society of America (EntSoc) to drive culture change in the field of biology. The Indigenous Voices project seeks to transform how these societies engage with Indigenous scholars and communities and improve their inclusion in biological research and professions. AISES in partnership with the three closely aligned biological professional societies will form a Steering Committee to: 1) assess the status of Indigenous inclusion within the organizations, 2) address structural barriers and build Indigenous communities within the organizations, and 3) expand relationships and understanding to fundamentally improve Indigenous representation within biology research and professions. The Indigenous Voices project represents a new collaboration among AISES, BSA, ESA, and EntSoc to advance efforts among all organizations to increase the inclusion of Indigenous peoples, culture, and values in biology, recognizing the unique identities and circumstances of Indigenous peoples in the United States and the implications for education, research, and workforce development through the lens of Tribal Nation Building. The purpose of this NSF LEAPS project is to test approaches to achieving culture change with respect to inclusion of Indigenous representation, from organizational membership to inclusion of Indigenous knowledge. Due to the pervasiveness of Indigenous STEM underrepresentation, Indigenous identities, knowledge, and values are often limited or erased altogether. The proposed project seeks to improve Indigenous representation in STEM through collaboration, engaging diverse voices and charting a path to change while also building the foundation of Indigenous scholars who will further the cultural transformations of their disciplines. The Indigenous Voices project expands upon current understandings for maintaining persistence in STEM among Native scholars through culturally connected mentorship, community building, and professional development centering Indigenous values. The Steering Committee will focus on assessing current needs and challenges and then identify benchmarks for building community among Indigenous scholars and increasing Indigenous representation across the organizations. Failing to center Indigenous voices and support the unique dimensions of Indigenous scholars and communities deprives the country of the potential for innovation and transformative solutions, particularly in the face of climate change and environmental injustice. Until Indigenous knowledge and science is valued equal to Western knowledge and science, Indigenous people will not be able to see themselves—the past and present people and communities they represent—valued in STEM. The Indigenous Voices project seeks to integrate increased participation with increased representation to achieve culture change, benefiting Indigenous people and communities and the fields of botany, ecology, and entomology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.